UCSP

Understanding Culture, Society, and Politics

It is the shared way of life of a group of people. It includes their beliefs, values, customs, traditions, language, religion, clothing, food, music, arts, and behaviors that are learned and passed from one generation to another.

CULTURE

A group of people living together in the same area who interact with one another and share common culture, institutions, and ways of life.

SOCIETY

It refers to the process of making decisions for a community or nation. It involves the distribution and exercise of power and authority.

POLITICS

Studies humans, their origins, evolution, and culture.

ANTHROPOLOGY

ANTHROPOLOGY

Examines how humans developed physically and culturally.

FOCUS:

 Human evolution

 Culture

 Traditions

 Cultural diversity

Studies society and human interactions.

SOCIOLOGY

SOCIOLOGY

Examines social institutions and relationships.

FOCUS;

 Family

 Education

 Religion

 Economy

 Social behavior

Studies government, political systems, power, leadership, and public policies.

POLITICAL SCIENCE

POLITICAL SCIENCE

Focus:

 Government

 Elections

 Citizenship

 Political participation

The legal and political membership of a person in a country.

CITIZENSHIP

CITIZENSHIP

 Vote

 Protection by the government

 Freedom of speech

Responsibilities of CITIZENSHIP

 Obey laws

 Pay taxes

 Respect others

 Participate in community affairs

refers to the beliefs, values, affiliations, and opinions that influence a person's political views.

POLITICAL IDENTITY

The framework through which a government exercises power and authority.

POLITICAL SYSTEM

The ability to influence or control the actions and decisions of others.

POWER

ELEMENTS OF CULTURE

Belief

Values
Norms

Symbols

Ideas accepted as true by members of society.

BELIEFS

Standards that guide what people consider good or important.

VALUES

Expected rules of behavior within society.

NORMS

Objects, colors, gestures, or signs representing particular meanings.

SYMBOLS

• Oldest form of society

• Depends on hunting animals and gathering plants

• Nomadic lifestyle

HUNTING SND GATHERING SOCIETY

• Depends on domesticated animals.

• Raises sheep, goats, cattle, camels.

PASTORAL SOCIETY

Depends on planting crops using simple tools.

HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY

• Uses advanced farming methods.

• Produces food in large quantities.

AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY

• Economy depends on factories and manufacturing.

• Urbanization increases.

INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

• Economy depends on technology, information, and services.

POST-INDUSTRIAL SOCIETY

The lifelong process of learning culture, values, norms, and behaviors.

SOCIALIZATION

First teacher of a child.

FAMILY

Develops knowledge and discipline.

SCHOOL

Shapes traditions and cooperation.

COMMUNITY

Influences beliefs and attitudes.

MEDIA

It explains how humans developed over millions of years.

HUMAN EVOLUTION

Changes in inherited physical characteristics over generations.

Biological Evolution

Changes in culture through time.

CULTURAL EVOLUTION

Passing physical traits from parents to children.

HEREDITY

Differences in traits among individuals.

VARIATION

States that all living organisms evolved from common ancestors over long periods of time.

And developed by?

THEORY OF EVOLUTION by CHARLES DARWIN

The process in which organisms with favorable traits are more likely to survive and reproduce.

NATURAL SELECTION

 Earliest known hominins

 Walked upright

 Small brain

AUSTRALOPITHECUS

 Handy Man

 First to make simple stone tools

HOMO HABILIS

 Controlled fire

 Used hand axes

 First to migrate out of Africa

HOMO ERECTUS

 Larger brain

 More advanced hunting

 Ancestor of Neanderthals and modern humans

HOMO HEIDELBERGENSIS

 Lived in Europe

 Buried their dead

 Made advanced tools

HOMO NEANDERTHALENSIS

 Modern humans

 Developed language

 Built civilizations

 Created technology

HOMO SAPIENS

a person's s legal identity as a member of a nation.

NATIONALITY

refers to a group of people who share

ETHNICITY

a system of beliefs concerning God or a higher power.

RELIGION

refers to individuals who are intellectually gifted or have physical, mental, behavioral, or learning disabilities.

EXCEPTIONALITY

People with average intellectual and physical abilities.

NON-EXCEPTIONALITY

The institution responsible for making and enforcing laws.

GOVERNMENT

Groups of people with similar political beliefs who seek to win elections.

POLITICAL PARTIES

is called the Storehouse of Culture because it preserves and transmits cultural knowledge from one generation to another.

LANGUAGE

Rules, standards, expectations, and proper behavior.

NORMATIVE CULTURE

Knowledge, beliefs, philosophies, and ideas.

COGNITIVE CULTURE

is the application of knowledge and tools to improve human life.

TECHNOLOGY

are rules that guide proper behavior.

NORMS

Customs followed in everyday life.

FOLKWAYS

Important moral rules.

MORES

Actions strongly prohibited by society.

TABOOS

Formal written rules enforced by the government.

LAWS

A ____ is a unit of cultural information transmitted from one person to another through language, imitation, or repeated behavior.

MEME